Air vent for radiators



June 19, 1928.

L. STADELHOFER AIR VENT FOR RADIATORS Filed Oct. 16, 1926 INVENTOR.

ATT NEY Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITED STA LESLIE STADELHOFEB, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AIR VENT FO RADIATOBS.

Application filed October 16, 1920. Serial No. 142,033.

This inventionrelates to an improved valve or vent for the radiators ofsteam heating systems of the type that closes when the radiator reachesa predetermined temperature. The invention is particularly designed toprovide a valve which will not be hard to assemble'and which remainsopen until the temperature closes it so that even although there isconsiderable steam pressure on the line feeding the radiator thispressure will not close the valve controlling the passage of air throughthe outlet of the valve casing until the temperature rises. In otherwords, this valve is not influenced by anything except the thermostaticelement or strip in the vent. v

The invention is designed to also provide a separate thermostaticallyoperated valve and a separate float operated valve, thus making iteasier to assemble the valve and to also make the possibility ofinterfering with the free functioning of the thermostatic elementremote.

The float which closes a valve when water 20 accumulates in the valvecasing is in a separate lower compartment and keeps the thermostaticelement from being submerged in water and its free operation is thusinsured. The closing of the float valve also limits the height of waterin the vent casing and it thus drains easier when the surging orpulsating incidental to the boiling of Water in a radiator causes thesaid valve to be intermittently opened thereby venting the Water chamberand allowing the atmospheric pressure to speed the draining of the waterchamber. This arrangement of separate air and water compartments insuresthe freedom of air valve of obstruction by water. The invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a centralsection through a vent made according to my invention and Figure 2 is asection on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The invention comprises a casing 10 which is of any usual type, that is,usually cylindrical and has an inlet portion 11 for attaching it to aradiator with the inlet opening 12 therein. In the casing is a disc 13with a hole 14 for the passage of air, the

disc being of metal and usually forced into the casing to divide it intoan upper and a lower chamber. In the lower chamber I place the float 15with a valve 16 at the top .of it so that the opening 14: is closed whenelement 19, this element being of the usual metals easily expanded by ahigh temperature but I prefer to make it S-shaped, held in place at oneend by the screw 20.

At the top of the valve is the outlet portion which in the form showncomprises a cap 21 screwed into the valve casing and holding, in turn, athimble 22 which has at its lower end the partition 23. The plug 24 isplaced inside the thimble and has the outlet opening 25 which isprovided at the bottom with a conical valve seat 26. The check valve 27in the form of a ball can be installed to close the passage 25, beingheld in place by a small plug 28.

Sliding in the partition 23 is a valve conls'isting of the head 29 andthe stem 30. The

head 29 is larger than the stem and the shoulder 31 thus provided isadapted to rest on the partition 23 and thus support the valve on thepartition whenever thethermostatic strip 19 is contracted-enough to haveno aifect on this valve. Beyond the valve 29 are the passages oropenings 32 arranged in the partition so that the air passing from 32 to25 does not affect the valve 29. The valve is at all times freelymovable toward the outlet of the casing and is controlled by thethermostatic strip only when the strip is expanded.

The advantage of this construction is that the valve when subjected to arapid flow of air through the casing caused by high pressure of steam aswhen a valve is opened and suddenly subjected to steam pressure, thevalve 29 will not be forced shut as it is out of the path of the airpassing from 32 to 25.

A light spring 33 can be used to hold the valve 29 open and a smallmetal knob 34 on the end of the stem acts not only as an abutment forone end of the spring 33 but makes a smooth rounded surface for theengagement of the thermostatic strip 19.

It will be evident that various modifications can be made in theconstruction without departing from the scope of the claim. I claim Anair vent for radiators comprising a 5 casing having a partition, a valvemovable vertically in the partition and having a shoulder which engagesthe partition to support the valve, the partition having air pas sagesbeyond said shoulder, and a thermostatic element to engage the valvebelow the partition to close the valve, the casing having an air outletabove the valve and to be closed thereby and having an air inlet belowthe partition.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LESLIE STADELHOFER.

